Warning: this article contains spoilers for Elden Ring’s first location.

Elden Ring has continued FromSoftware’s long running in-joke by once again including a character that Souls fans love to hate.

In Elden Ring’s opening location of Limgrave players can find Patches, the bald trickster who has constantly pulled pranks on players throughout the Soulsborne series of games.

This time around, Patches can be found in the Murkwater Cave. Should you wish to find him you’ll want to follow the river north and keep your eye out for a dungeon entrance. Once again he can be a valuable ally thanks to his collection of wares on sale (you might want to inspect his inventory before heading into Stormveil Castle) but he’ll prove a nuisance before offering you any help, naturally.

This is the sixth incarnation of Patches. He first appeared in Demon’s Souls as Patches the Hyena, and was later seen in Dark Souls (as Trusty Patches), Bloodborne (as Patches the Spider), and Dark Souls 3 and its Ringed City DLC (as Unbreakable Patches). Dark Souls 2 also features a Patches-style character, but was known as Mild-Mannered Pate.

For more, take a look at our Elden Ring review (which has contributed to it being one of the best reviewed games in modern history), as well as our stories on how a small change has made playing in co-op easier, and how a tutorial dungeon helps out new players.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.

DC's flagship Batman comic is getting a new writer this summer. As announced at the ComicsPro retailer convention, Chip Zdarsky (Daredevil, Spider-Man: Life Story) will take the reins of the series beginning with July's Batman #125.

While issue #125 will mark Zdarsky's debut on the series, the art team should be familiar to readers who have been following Batman over the past two years. Artist Jorge Jimenez and colorist Tomeu Morey will remain onboard Batman, with issue #125 kicking off a new six-part story arc called "Failsafe."

"Failsafe" sees Batman plagued by nightmares of a future disaster, even as he faces a mysterious enemy hellbent on destroying him by any means necessary. This story will also place a renewed emphasis on the Batman/Robin dynamic, with Tim Drake returning to Batman's side once more.

"I don’t want to give away too much about where we’re going here," Zdarsky wrote on Substack. "Anyone who’s read my Daredevil run knows I like to plan things out and keep things under wrap so people just enjoy what they’re reading instead of enjoying spoilers before they read it. All I’ll say is, our first arc, Failsafe, is Batman’s Doomsday. It’s non-stop action and puts Batman in a very different place by the end of it."

Zdarsky also confirmed he'll continue to write Daredevil at Marvel for the foreseeable future. If not the first writer to work on both the main Batman and Daredevil titles, Zdarsky does have the distinction of being the first to write both books at the same time.

It's unknown how Zdarsky's run will connect to the upcoming Dark Crisis crossover, which is being overseen by current Batman writer Joshua Williamson. Dark Crisis explores the dramatic fallout of Justice League #75, wherein all but one of the League will be apparently killed in action. Based on the art revealed for Dark Crisis so far, Batman appears to be among the dead, so "Failsafe" may be set before the events of Justice League #75.

Also announced at ComicsPro, DC is launching a new Japanese mecha-inspired series called DC Mech.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

DC's flagship Batman comic is getting a new writer this summer. As announced at the ComicsPro retailer convention, Chip Zdarsky (Daredevil, Spider-Man: Life Story) will take the reins of the series beginning with July's Batman #125.

While issue #125 will mark Zdarsky's debut on the series, the art team should be familiar to readers who have been following Batman over the past two years. Artist Jorge Jimenez and colorist Tomeu Morey will remain onboard Batman, with issue #125 kicking off a new six-part story arc called "Failsafe."

"Failsafe" sees Batman plagued by nightmares of a future disaster, even as he faces a mysterious enemy hellbent on destroying him by any means necessary. This story will also place a renewed emphasis on the Batman/Robin dynamic, with Tim Drake returning to Batman's side once more.

"I don’t want to give away too much about where we’re going here," Zdarsky wrote on Substack. "Anyone who’s read my Daredevil run knows I like to plan things out and keep things under wrap so people just enjoy what they’re reading instead of enjoying spoilers before they read it. All I’ll say is, our first arc, Failsafe, is Batman’s Doomsday. It’s non-stop action and puts Batman in a very different place by the end of it."

Zdarsky also confirmed he'll continue to write Daredevil at Marvel for the foreseeable future. If not the first writer to work on both the main Batman and Daredevil titles, Zdarsky does have the distinction of being the first to write both books at the same time.

It's unknown how Zdarsky's run will connect to the upcoming Dark Crisis crossover, which is being overseen by current Batman writer Joshua Williamson. Dark Crisis explores the dramatic fallout of Justice League #75, wherein all but one of the League will be apparently killed in action. Based on the art revealed for Dark Crisis so far, Batman appears to be among the dead, so "Failsafe" may be set before the events of Justice League #75.

Also announced at ComicsPro, DC is launching a new Japanese mecha-inspired series called DC Mech.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

A number of Ukrainian game development studios, as well as members of the wider games industry have spoken up following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia late last night.

Russia's attack began with Russian President Vladimir Putin announcing he would carry out "a special military operation" in Ukraine. Following his statement, attacks began in ten regions of Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv, and have since expanded across the country. Ukraine's ambassador has claimed that at least 40 troops have now been killed along with "dozens" of civilians, and Ukraine has reportedly lost its control of the Chernobyl nuclear site.

In response, Ukrainian developers including Frogwares (The Sinking City, Sherlock Holmes), Tallboys (Pandemic Express, Where the Clouds End), Vostok Games (working on an unannounced AAA shooter), and GSC Game World (Stalker and Stalker 2) have issued statements via their official Twitter accounts calling for Ukraine's continued independence and an end to the attack on their country. Both GSC Game World and Ukrainian esports organization Natus Vincere (NAVI) have additionally called for aid to the Ukrainian army.

We're a peaceful nation, and in all the years since we gained our independence, we've never attacked or threatened anyone.

Because of this situation, our work will be impacted and our lives can be destroyed.

— Frogwares (@Frogwares) February 24, 2022

Sengi Games, developer of The Serpent Rogue, also commented on the conflict and its own situation within it:

Dear friends, as some of you may know, we are based in Ukraine, today our country was attacked by Russia. They declared a War and currently attacking our citizens.

We will not able to answer or help you that much with the game atm.

Love and peace for you all!

— The Serpent Rogue (@TheSerpentRogue) February 24, 2022

Other Ukrainian studios haven't issued statements at this time, but are nonetheless taking action to ensure the safety of their teams. IGN has spoken via email with Beatshapers CEO Alexey Menishikov, who confirmed that the Kiev-based studio was currently being evacuated to west Ukraine and Poland. We have also reached out to Metro developer 4A, and Prime World: Defenders co-development studio Red Beat, but have not yet heard back.

IGN has also reached out to Ubisoft for any update on its Ukraine-based studios and received the following statement:

"The safety and wellbeing of our team members is always our primary concern. We are monitoring the situation closely and have already implemented several measures to help keep our teams in Ukraine safe. We also are providing assistance and aid to all team members. We don't have more details to share at this time but will continue to monitor and adjust to the situation as it evolves."

Riot Games' Valorant Champions Tour has opted to postpone its games this week given the number of players, casters, staff, and fans impacted by the invasion:

After careful consideration, we have decided to postpone VCT EMEA Week 3 games. Our community’s welfare is integral to us and at this time, our number one priority is to support the players, casters, staff and fans affected by the escalating crisis in Ukraine.

— VALORANT Champions Tour EMEA (@valesports_emea) February 24, 2022

The New York Video Game Critics Circle published a note this morning from Elena Lobova, the Kiev-based founder of games industry community platform GDBay who was a part of the opening video of the recent New York Game Awards.

"I woke up at 5 AM today, without any particular reason, just had a bad dream…" Lobova wrote. "I went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. The kitchen window was open. Around 5:05 AM, I’ve heard several explosions that immediately brought me back to 2014 in Lugansk. I knew what it was.

"There were several explosions after that, still shooting time to time. I’m in a place that seemed like the safest option out of what I had available, together with my close people.

"We keep working, doing our best to stay safe and hope for the best."

Serenity Forge, publisher of Death's Gambit: Afterlife, shared the following statement from co-founder Zhenghua 'Z' Yang regarding the company's efforts to support a Ukraine-based development partner:

"Serenity Forge is working with a talented Ukraine-based developer who was assisting us and White Rabbit with the Death’s Gambit’s Xbox version, but unfortunately he began to flee for his safety after last night’s invasion began," Z said. "We had talks with him to try to relocate him to our headquarters in Boulder, Colorado, but unfortunately ran out of time as the U.S. offices and services shuttered quickly over the past few days. As of last speaking with him yesterday I believe he's safe, but that might not be true anymore as he's no longer available for communications. We will resume development on the Xbox version of Death’s Gambit when possible but currently our main concern is doing everything we can to keep our friends and colleagues safe."

Companies outside of Ukraine are also offering support. 11 Bit Studios, the Polish creator of This War of Mine, issued a statement against the war, while also announcing it would donate all profits from This War of Mine and all its DLCs on all platforms and stores to the Ukrainian Red Cross to support victims.

11 bit studios team statement:#FuckTheWar#Ukraine @RedCrossUkraine @Ukraine pic.twitter.com/bVqBlZnR8j

— 11 bit studios (@11bitstudios) February 24, 2022

Storefront GOG followed up with an announcement that it will donate all profits from its own shares of This War of Mine sales to the Ukrainian Red Cross as well.

Publisher Raw Fury has also issued a statement in support of Ukraine, alongside a call to action to donate to the Ukrainian Red Cross:

A message from us at Raw Fury on the current events.#StandWithUkraine https://t.co/SSSBXEKFwm pic.twitter.com/VwPlinc6Cr

— Raw Fury (@RawFury) February 24, 2022

And Draw Distance, the Polish developer of Serial Cleaner and Vampire: the Masquerade - Coteries of New York, publicly expressed support for Ukraine too.

"Ukrainians are our neighbors, colleagues, and employees. Their safety, and the safety of their families is of great importance to us. We wholeheartedly condemn the Russian attack on Ukraine."

Other members of the games industry have also spoken up as individuals separate from corporate statements. Bungie CEO Pete Parsons posted the Ukrainian flag on his personal Twitter this morning. Remedy lead gameplay designer Sergey Mohov has spoken out against the invasion and shared a number of resources for Ukrainian aid, as has SteamSpy creator and Epic Games director of publishing strategy Sergiy Galyonkin.

pic.twitter.com/dMpi33Sy5C

— pete parsons (@pparsons) February 24, 2022

And finally, Necrosoft Games director Brandon Sheffield is in the process of putting together an itch.io bundle to simultaneously support those impacted in Ukraine as well as transgender youth in Texas following a move by the state's governor to classify medical treatments for trans adolescents as "child abuse." The bundle is still in the works, with Sheffield suggesting proceeds would be split 50/50 between the two causes.

Russia's attack on Ukraine comes after months of escalation of Russian military activity on the border between the two. The tensions between Ukraine and Russia go all the way back to Ukraine's formal break with Russia and vote for independence in 1991, the 2014 Maidan Revolution that saw the impeachment of Ukraine's pro-Russian president after his refusal to sign an agreement with the European Union, and Russia's subsequent illegal annexation of Crimea.

A number of humanitarian aid organizations are currently accepting donations and support for their efforts to help Ukrainians impacted by the war. They include:

• Save the Children: On the ground right now providing humanitarian aid to children.
• UNICEF: Providing emergency supplies and safe water to communities, as well as care for children on the ground and who have been separated from families.
• Project HOPE: Sending medical supplies and providing health care for refugees.

Update 2/24/2022 4:11 pm PT: Bungie has announced that it will donate 100% of the proceeds of the first 48 hours of its Game2Give drive to humanitarian aid efforts in response to the conflict in Ukraine.

Our hearts are with our friends and families affected by the events in Ukraine.

We will be donating 100% of the proceeds of the first 48 hours of our Game2Give drive to humanitarian aid efforts in response to ongoing conflict.

— Bungie (@Bungie) February 25, 2022

In a follow-up tweet, Bungie listed several humanitarian aid organizations for those looking to help.

Ultimate Chicken Horse studio Clever Endeavor has also joined those speaking out in support of Ukraine, as has The Long Dark creator Raphael van Lierop. And the Ukrainian solo developer of city-building game Ostriv tweeted about waking up "to the sounds of Russian shelling."

Indie publisher TinyBuild, which has a number of team members and partners in the region, has tweeted about its efforts to keep its people based in Ukraine safe both prior to the attack and now:

We have a team of strong leads coordinating efforts of getting people to safety. Logistics, finance, housing.

The best thing to do is keep a cool head, think pragmatic, and anticipate the situation.

Nobody gets left behind.

— Alex Nichiporchik (@aNichiporchik) February 24, 2022

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

A number of Ukrainian game development studios, as well as members of the wider games industry have spoken up following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia late last night.

Russia's attack began with Russian President Vladimir Putin announcing he would carry out "a special military operation" in Ukraine. Following his statement, attacks began in ten regions of Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv, and have since expanded across the country. Ukraine's ambassador has claimed that at least 40 troops have now been killed along with "dozens" of civilians, and Ukraine has reportedly lost its control of the Chernobyl nuclear site.

In response, Ukrainian developers including Frogwares (The Sinking City, Sherlock Holmes), Tallboys (Pandemic Express, Where the Clouds End), Vostok Games (working on an unannounced AAA shooter), and GSC Game World (Stalker and Stalker 2) have issued statements via their official Twitter accounts calling for Ukraine's continued independence and an end to the attack on their country. Both GSC Game World and Ukrainian esports organization Natus Vincere (NAVI) have additionally called for aid to the Ukrainian army.

We're a peaceful nation, and in all the years since we gained our independence, we've never attacked or threatened anyone.

Because of this situation, our work will be impacted and our lives can be destroyed.

— Frogwares (@Frogwares) February 24, 2022

Sengi Games, developer of The Serpent Rogue, also commented on the conflict and its own situation within it:

Dear friends, as some of you may know, we are based in Ukraine, today our country was attacked by Russia. They declared a War and currently attacking our citizens.

We will not able to answer or help you that much with the game atm.

Love and peace for you all!

— The Serpent Rogue (@TheSerpentRogue) February 24, 2022

Other Ukrainian studios haven't issued statements at this time, but are nonetheless taking action to ensure the safety of their teams. IGN has spoken via email with Beatshapers CEO Alexey Menishikov, who confirmed that the Kiev-based studio was currently being evacuated to west Ukraine and Poland. We have also reached out to Metro developer 4A, and Prime World: Defenders co-development studio Red Beat, but have not yet heard back.

IGN has also reached out to Ubisoft for any update on its Ukraine-based studios and received the following statement:

"The safety and wellbeing of our team members is always our primary concern. We are monitoring the situation closely and have already implemented several measures to help keep our teams in Ukraine safe. We also are providing assistance and aid to all team members. We don't have more details to share at this time but will continue to monitor and adjust to the situation as it evolves."

Riot Games' Valorant Champions Tour has opted to postpone its games this week given the number of players, casters, staff, and fans impacted by the invasion:

After careful consideration, we have decided to postpone VCT EMEA Week 3 games. Our community’s welfare is integral to us and at this time, our number one priority is to support the players, casters, staff and fans affected by the escalating crisis in Ukraine.

— VALORANT Champions Tour EMEA (@valesports_emea) February 24, 2022

The New York Video Game Critics Circle published a note this morning from Elena Lobova, the Kiev-based founder of games industry community platform GDBay who was a part of the opening video of the recent New York Game Awards.

"I woke up at 5 AM today, without any particular reason, just had a bad dream…" Lobova wrote. "I went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. The kitchen window was open. Around 5:05 AM, I’ve heard several explosions that immediately brought me back to 2014 in Lugansk. I knew what it was.

"There were several explosions after that, still shooting time to time. I’m in a place that seemed like the safest option out of what I had available, together with my close people.

"We keep working, doing our best to stay safe and hope for the best."

Serenity Forge, publisher of Death's Gambit: Afterlife, shared the following statement from co-founder Zhenghua 'Z' Yang regarding the company's efforts to support a Ukraine-based development partner:

"Serenity Forge is working with a talented Ukraine-based developer who was assisting us and White Rabbit with the Death’s Gambit’s Xbox version, but unfortunately he began to flee for his safety after last night’s invasion began," Z said. "We had talks with him to try to relocate him to our headquarters in Boulder, Colorado, but unfortunately ran out of time as the U.S. offices and services shuttered quickly over the past few days. As of last speaking with him yesterday I believe he's safe, but that might not be true anymore as he's no longer available for communications. We will resume development on the Xbox version of Death’s Gambit when possible but currently our main concern is doing everything we can to keep our friends and colleagues safe."

Companies outside of Ukraine are also offering support. 11 Bit Studios, the Polish creator of This War of Mine, issued a statement against the war, while also announcing it would donate all profits from This War of Mine and all its DLCs on all platforms and stores to the Ukrainian Red Cross to support victims.

11 bit studios team statement:#FuckTheWar#Ukraine @RedCrossUkraine @Ukraine pic.twitter.com/bVqBlZnR8j

— 11 bit studios (@11bitstudios) February 24, 2022

Storefront GOG followed up with an announcement that it will donate all profits from its own shares of This War of Mine sales to the Ukrainian Red Cross as well.

Publisher Raw Fury has also issued a statement in support of Ukraine, alongside a call to action to donate to the Ukrainian Red Cross:

A message from us at Raw Fury on the current events.#StandWithUkraine https://t.co/SSSBXEKFwm pic.twitter.com/VwPlinc6Cr

— Raw Fury (@RawFury) February 24, 2022

And Draw Distance, the Polish developer of Serial Cleaner and Vampire: the Masquerade - Coteries of New York, publicly expressed support for Ukraine too.

"Ukrainians are our neighbors, colleagues, and employees. Their safety, and the safety of their families is of great importance to us. We wholeheartedly condemn the Russian attack on Ukraine."

Other members of the games industry have also spoken up as individuals separate from corporate statements. Bungie CEO Pete Parsons posted the Ukrainian flag on his personal Twitter this morning. Remedy lead gameplay designer Sergey Mohov has spoken out against the invasion and shared a number of resources for Ukrainian aid, as has SteamSpy creator and Epic Games director of publishing strategy Sergiy Galyonkin.

pic.twitter.com/dMpi33Sy5C

— pete parsons (@pparsons) February 24, 2022

And finally, Necrosoft Games director Brandon Sheffield is in the process of putting together an itch.io bundle to simultaneously support those impacted in Ukraine as well as transgender youth in Texas following a move by the state's governor to classify medical treatments for trans adolescents as "child abuse." The bundle is still in the works, with Sheffield suggesting proceeds would be split 50/50 between the two causes.

Russia's attack on Ukraine comes after months of escalation of Russian military activity on the border between the two. The tensions between Ukraine and Russia go all the way back to Ukraine's formal break with Russia and vote for independence in 1991, the 2014 Maidan Revolution that saw the impeachment of Ukraine's pro-Russian president after his refusal to sign an agreement with the European Union, and Russia's subsequent illegal annexation of Crimea.

A number of humanitarian aid organizations are currently accepting donations and support for their efforts to help Ukrainians impacted by the war. They include:

• Save the Children: On the ground right now providing humanitarian aid to children.
• UNICEF: Providing emergency supplies and safe water to communities, as well as care for children on the ground and who have been separated from families.
• Project HOPE: Sending medical supplies and providing health care for refugees.

Update 2/24/2022 4:11 pm PT: Bungie has announced that it will donate 100% of the proceeds of the first 48 hours of its Game2Give drive to humanitarian aid efforts in response to the conflict in Ukraine.

Our hearts are with our friends and families affected by the events in Ukraine.

We will be donating 100% of the proceeds of the first 48 hours of our Game2Give drive to humanitarian aid efforts in response to ongoing conflict.

— Bungie (@Bungie) February 25, 2022

In a follow-up tweet, Bungie listed several humanitarian aid organizations for those looking to help.

Ultimate Chicken Horse studio Clever Endeavor has also joined those speaking out in support of Ukraine, as has The Long Dark creator Raphael van Lierop. And the Ukrainian solo developer of city-building game Ostriv tweeted about waking up "to the sounds of Russian shelling."

Indie publisher TinyBuild, which has a number of team members and partners in the region, has tweeted about its efforts to keep its people based in Ukraine safe both prior to the attack and now:

We have a team of strong leads coordinating efforts of getting people to safety. Logistics, finance, housing.

The best thing to do is keep a cool head, think pragmatic, and anticipate the situation.

Nobody gets left behind.

— Alex Nichiporchik (@aNichiporchik) February 24, 2022

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

The Crown has had over $200,000 worth of antique props stolen from its set.

The popular Netflix series is currently filming in Mexborough, Yorkshire where the theft occurred. Over 350 items were taken including gold and silver candelabras, a ten-piece silver dressing table, Russian religious icons, and a replica Fabergé egg.

However, it’s thought that the theft will not affect production.

“We can confirm the antiques have been stolen and we hope that they are found and returned safely,” a Netflix spokesperson told Variety. “Replacements will be sourced, there is no expectation that filming will be held up.”

South Yorkshire police are now investigating the theft, which saw three vehicles broken into at a lorry park near the filming location.

Netflix has also released details of the stolen items in an attempt to locate them, which include:

• A replica of an 1897 Imperial Coronation Fabergé coach egg
• 12 sets of silver candelabra
• Seven gold candelabra
• A clock face from a William IV grandfather clock (but not the long case in which it was enclosed)
• Some Russian religious icons
• A 10-piece silver dressing table
• St Louis gilt crystal glassware and decanters

“The items stolen are not necessarily in the best condition and therefore of limited value for resale,” said The Crown set decorator, Alison Harvey. “However, they are valuable as pieces to the UK film industry.”

Additionally, the South Yorkshire Police issued the following statement:

“Police were called at 4:30pm on Wednesday 16 February following a report of theft from vehicles at Pastures Road, Doncaster. It is reported that three vehicles containing props used in film and TV were broken into and a number of items taken. Officers investigated the incident but all existing lines of enquiry have now been exhausted. The case has been filed pending any new lines of enquiry.”

The Crown Season 5 will feature Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II, following in the footsteps of Olivia Colman who won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama Series for the same role. Catch up with The Crown by reading our Season 4 review.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

The Crown has had over $200,000 worth of antique props stolen from its set.

The popular Netflix series is currently filming in Mexborough, Yorkshire where the theft occurred. Over 350 items were taken including gold and silver candelabras, a ten-piece silver dressing table, Russian religious icons, and a replica Fabergé egg.

However, it’s thought that the theft will not affect production.

“We can confirm the antiques have been stolen and we hope that they are found and returned safely,” a Netflix spokesperson told Variety. “Replacements will be sourced, there is no expectation that filming will be held up.”

South Yorkshire police are now investigating the theft, which saw three vehicles broken into at a lorry park near the filming location.

Netflix has also released details of the stolen items in an attempt to locate them, which include:

• A replica of an 1897 Imperial Coronation Fabergé coach egg
• 12 sets of silver candelabra
• Seven gold candelabra
• A clock face from a William IV grandfather clock (but not the long case in which it was enclosed)
• Some Russian religious icons
• A 10-piece silver dressing table
• St Louis gilt crystal glassware and decanters

“The items stolen are not necessarily in the best condition and therefore of limited value for resale,” said The Crown set decorator, Alison Harvey. “However, they are valuable as pieces to the UK film industry.”

Additionally, the South Yorkshire Police issued the following statement:

“Police were called at 4:30pm on Wednesday 16 February following a report of theft from vehicles at Pastures Road, Doncaster. It is reported that three vehicles containing props used in film and TV were broken into and a number of items taken. Officers investigated the incident but all existing lines of enquiry have now been exhausted. The case has been filed pending any new lines of enquiry.”

The Crown Season 5 will feature Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II, following in the footsteps of Olivia Colman who won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama Series for the same role. Catch up with The Crown by reading our Season 4 review.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Microsoft has announced that March 2022's Games with Gold are The Flame in the Flood, Street Power Soccer, Sacred 2: Fallen Angel, and SpongeBob's Truth or Square.

As revealed on Xbox Wire, the four Games with Gold will be available to anyone with Xbox Live Gold or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, with The Flame in the Flood and Sacred 2: Fallen Angel available on March 1.

The Flame in the Flood is a survival game where players take control of Scout, who must venture down a treacherous river with her dog, Aesop.

In our 7/10 review, IGN said "The Flame in the Flood is a beautiful procedurally generated survival sim that gains a welcome sense of momentum from the need to stay on the move," though "its unwieldy menus and tendency to crash ruins some of the fun."

Also available on March 1, but only until March 15, is Sacred 2: Fallen Angel. This RPG was released in 2008 and features Diablo-style combat through a range of characters.

IGN said it was "okay", as "for players looking for an action-RPG loot grind offering plenty of gameplay hours, enemies to kill, and numerous ways to kill them, you'll find it in Ascaron's Sacred 2: Fallen Angel." On the other hand, "you'll also find an inconvenient interface, mediocre visuals, and a few technical drawbacks that keep this from really being a standout experience."

Street Power Soccer becomes available for free on March 16 and will be available until April 15. It injects a bit of chaos into your regular game of soccer, providing players with a variety of game modes, playgrounds, power ups and tricks to try out.

Finally, SpongeBob's Truth or Square will be available from March 16 to 31. This 2009 release can be completed in less than ten hours and features a mix of exploration and puzzle solving.

Be sure to redeem February 2022's Xbox Games with Gold before they leave the service, that includes Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse, Aerial_Knight's Never Yield, Hydrophobia, and Band of Bugs.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale.

Microsoft has announced that March 2022's Games with Gold are The Flame in the Flood, Street Power Soccer, Sacred 2: Fallen Angel, and SpongeBob's Truth or Square.

As revealed on Xbox Wire, the four Games with Gold will be available to anyone with Xbox Live Gold or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, with The Flame in the Flood and Sacred 2: Fallen Angel available on March 1.

The Flame in the Flood is a survival game where players take control of Scout, who must venture down a treacherous river with her dog, Aesop.

In our 7/10 review, IGN said "The Flame in the Flood is a beautiful procedurally generated survival sim that gains a welcome sense of momentum from the need to stay on the move," though "its unwieldy menus and tendency to crash ruins some of the fun."

Also available on March 1, but only until March 15, is Sacred 2: Fallen Angel. This RPG was released in 2008 and features Diablo-style combat through a range of characters.

IGN said it was "okay", as "for players looking for an action-RPG loot grind offering plenty of gameplay hours, enemies to kill, and numerous ways to kill them, you'll find it in Ascaron's Sacred 2: Fallen Angel." On the other hand, "you'll also find an inconvenient interface, mediocre visuals, and a few technical drawbacks that keep this from really being a standout experience."

Street Power Soccer becomes available for free on March 16 and will be available until April 15. It injects a bit of chaos into your regular game of soccer, providing players with a variety of game modes, playgrounds, power ups and tricks to try out.

Finally, SpongeBob's Truth or Square will be available from March 16 to 31. This 2009 release can be completed in less than ten hours and features a mix of exploration and puzzle solving.

Be sure to redeem February 2022's Xbox Games with Gold before they leave the service, that includes Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse, Aerial_Knight's Never Yield, Hydrophobia, and Band of Bugs.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale.

In the wake of Spider-Man: No Way Home, classic characters are back in vogue. Already other comic book films are moving to team up multiple versions of their own favorites, whether it's Michael Keaton's Batman or the heroes from Blues Clues. But how much is too much?

At a wide-ranging talk at DICE 2022, Avengers Endgame director Joe Russo said that it's a question that the industry has consistently struggled over, leading to decisions like killing off half the MCU in Infinity War (and then bringing them back). He also said that the corporate agenda lacks innovation, arguing that creatives need to rein in corporations that want to run popular trends into the ground.

"The corporate agenda is: Do you like chocolate ice cream? Well here chocolate ice cream with sprinkles, here's chocolate ice cream with fudge...It's their job to turn the money printer on," Russo said. "It's the creative's job to say, 'Well shit, I don't know if I want to watch that.'"

Russo said that it's the task of creatives to "push back against the money printer" and attempt to do something radical that defies expectations.

"So yeah, too much of one thing is a bad thing, but I think there are enough creators and innovators in the space where you can expect to be surprised," Russo said. "Just don't expect corporations to surprise you."

Russo's comments come amid a flood of interest in movies like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which have successfully leveraged classic properties to create wildly popular movies. Both The Flash and Batgirl are expected to bring back classic characters of their own, and there are rumors that Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier will make his way into Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness.

Star Wars, which is also owned by Disney, has relied more and more nostalgia. Book of Boba was loaded with references to older movies and other media, including villains who have mainly appeared in comic books. The self-referential nature of the Star Wars universe has spurred discussion about Disney's reliance on familiarity to placate fans.

Asked how he might tackle the Star Wars universe, Russo demurred, saying that "there's always a creative engine behind [franchises like Star Wars] that's passionate about the material, that lives for the material, that bleeds for the material," and that it's up to them to partner with other creatives.

Russo himself is working on other projects beyond the MCU right now, including a television adaptation of The Warriors. He's also developed a health interest in the games industry, saying that he expects games to surpass movies and that the "future isn't 2D."

For now, classic characters are as popular as ever, and plenty more movies are likely to use the multiverse conceit to bring back old favorites. Expect it to continue with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which launches in May.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN